.Discussion:
Selling the War
The global nature of World War I was all-encompassing. This
was not only professional
armies battling one another–it was nation against
nation. Civilian and economic targets
became military targets in order to
destroy a nation’s ability to produce and its will to fight. Mass conscription
of males opened industrial production jobs to women. Entertainment was used for
propaganda and enlisting the enthusiastic support of an entire population
became an essential aspect of maintaining warfare. How best to convince your
population that your cause was just?
Review these WWI propaganda posters
(can be found on the web)
Begin your response by discussing the reasons why
governments needed to “sell” the war to their populations. Address the
following questions in your response:
·
Who opposed the war and
why?
·
What efforts did the
governments in Europe take to raise support?
·
Then, imagine that you
are alive at the time of World War I and are unsure
whether you support your
nation’s involvement in the war effort. Of the posters,
which two would be most
likely to change your mind? Why? Clearly explain the
message of each poster you
chose and summarize the reasons why you, as a
person alive at the time of the
War, would be moved by it to support the war effort.
Use information from scholarly sources to support your
positions.
Your initial response should address the prompts in the
discussion topic. It should be
substantial (at least 300 words in length) and
contain citations for at least two scholarly
sources you utilized in your
response.
